Recreational vehicles, and the like, typically have toilets on board that are associated with holding tanks for holding the wastes "flushed" down the toilet. Periodically the holding tanks must be emptied. While this does not cause a significant problem if there are campsites, or like facilities, available which have pumps and connections for emptying the holding tanks. However in different parts of the world, and in remote areas of the United States, where the appropriate facilities do not exist, there can be great difficulties in properly (without polluting the environment) disposing of the waste water from the holding tanks.
Various products are on the market for allowing the contents of a holding tank to be discharged into a separate, transportable tank. The transportable tank is then wheeled, or otherwise transported, to a land based water closet, or the like, and the contents of the transportable tank emptied into the land based water closet. However existing transportable tanks are difficult to handle during the discharge of the waste water therefrom into the land based water closet, can result in a great deal of splashing, can cause overflow of the water closet if the water closet level is not reduced quickly enough by periodic flushing, and in general cause the discharge task to be a most unpleasant and difficult one.
According to the present invention, a tank system is provided which overcomes the majority of the drawbacks associated with prior art transportable tanks. According to the present invention, it is possible to readily and easily position the transportable tank at the land based water closet or the like so that discharge of its contents into the water closet is simple and easy to accomplish. Further, by locating the actuator for the discharge valve associated with the transportable tank as far as possible from the discharge valve itself, the job of emptying the transportable tank can be made less unpleasant. Also, according to the present invention splashing is minimized during emptying of the transportable tank, and the tank system is designed so that overflow of the water closet is inherently prevented.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of emptying the holding tank in a recreational vehicle or the like, and discharging the contents of the holding tank into a water closet or the like, utilizing a wheeled transportable tank having a discharge valve with actuator, and a deployable stationary support operatively connected to the transportable tank. The method comprises the following steps: (a) Filling the transportable tank with the contents of the recreational vehicle holding tank by opening the valve of the transportable tank and flowing the contents of the holding tank through it, and then closing the valve. (b) Wheeling the transportable tank, on its wheels, to a water closet or the like. (c) At the water closet or the like, deploying the stationary support, so that it supports the transportable tank instead of the wheels. (d) Tilting the transportable tank with respect to the stationary support about a horizontal axis to move the discharge valve into a position just above the water closet or the like. And, (e) actuating the discharge valve to allow the contents thereof to flow therethrough into the water closet or the like. During the practice of step (a) a vent, preferably located in the same face as the discharge valve, is manually opened, and during the practice of steps (d) and (e) the manual vent is closed. Further, a tubular element is provided from the discharge valve extending into the toilet, and no vent (with the manual vent closed) is provided for the tank except through the discharge valve itself. Therefore, once the level of liquid in the toilet reaches the tube extending from the valve, a vacuum results in the tank, insuring that no further liquid will be discharged from the tank into the toilet until the liquid level in the toilet drops below the tube. The tube also minimizes splashing of waste water being discharged into the water closet.
According to another aspect of the present invention a transportable tank system for handling waste water and the like is provided. The system comprises the following components: A tank body having first and second opposite ends, and first and second opposite faces between the first and second ends. Discharge valve means provided in the tank first face for selectively providing or preventing fluid communication between the interior of the tank and the exterior thereof. Wheel means provided as the second end of the tank for mounting the tank for rolling movement. And, tilting means for mounting the tank for tilting movement from a first position, in which the tank is transportable by the wheel means with the wheel means engaging the ground and supporting the tank, to a second position in which the wheel means do not support the tank, and the discharge valve means is elevated with the first face extending substantially horizontally so that it may be disposed directly over a toilet to discharge the contents of the tank into the toilet. The tilting means preferably comprises support legs and bearing means connected to the support legs. The bearing means comprises a pair of stub shafts extending outwardly from the sides of the tank, and collar means integral with the legs receiving the stub shafts and pivotal with respect to the shafts, the shafts defining a horizontal axis about which the entire tank pivots. The support legs preferably comprise first and second support legs rigidly connected to the collar means and extending therefrom outwardly past the first end of the tank, and third and fourth legs pivotally connected to the first and second legs for movement between a nonuse position in which the third and fourth legs are substantially parallel to the first and second legs, to a use position in which the third and fourth legs make a positive angle with respect to the first and second legs and thereby provide a support base for supporting the tank for pivotal movement about the horizontal axis defined by the shaft stubs. Latching means are also associated with the tilting means for releasably latching the tilting means to the tank in the first position thereof. The latching means comprises a hooked latching plate extending from at least one of the third and fourth legs toward the axle supporting the wheels, and shaped and dimensioned to engage the axle when the tank is in the first position, and to disengage the axle when the tank is in the second position. A handle is mounted on the second end of the tank for facilitating movement of the tank with the wheel means and tilting of the tank about the horizontal axis. If the tank is actually used itself in a recreational vehicle in place of the holding tank, or desirably even under other circumstances, a level indicator is built into the tank.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a tank system is provided which comprises: A generally parallelepiped shaped tank having first and second opposite ends, first and second opposite major faces and first and second opposite minor faces extending between the first and second ends. Wheel means operatively mounted to the tank adjacent the first end thereof. Handle means associated with the tank adjacent the second end thereof Discharge valve means provided in the first major face and adjacent the second end of the tank for selectively allowing or preventing discharge of liquid from the interior of the tank to the exterior thereof. And, actuator means for the discharge valve means including an actuator element mounted adjacent the first end of the tank, remote from the discharge valve means. A manually actuatable vent is also provided on the tank, and an anti-splash tube is connected to a discharge valve, and extends from the discharge valve toward the land based water closet.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective transportable tank to facilitate emptying of holding tanks from recreational vehicles, or the like, into land based water closets, or the like. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.